Actuator of a hand knitting apparatus



Sept. 20, 1960 H. scHURIcH ETAL 2,953,005

ACTUATOR oF A HAND KNITTING APPARATUS original Filed April 5o, 1956 342/NvE/vroks Patented sept. 20,1950

ACTUATOR F A HAND KNITTING APPARATUS Herbert Schiirich, Mudrackzeile l,Berlin-Reinickendorf,

and Otto Bunge, Bonhoeier Ufer 17, Berlin-Charlottenburg, GermanyOriginal application Apr. 30, 1956, Ser. No. 581,686, now Patent No.2,904,978, dated Sept. 22, 1959. Divided and this application Apr. 22,1958, Ser. No. 730,190

Claims priority, application Germany May 5, 1955 6 Claims. (Cl. 66-78)The present invention relates to hand knitting apparatus and thisapplication is a division of our co-pending application, Serial No.581,686, iiled April 30, 1956, nowV Patent No. 2,904,978.

Additional devices are often used on hand knitting apparatus,particularly for the production of right/left patterns, and thesedevices'comprise an auxiliary needle bed with an'auxiliary actuatormovably supported above Such bed. Hence, the invention consists in anactuator for'the additional device, designated an auxiliary actul ator,constructed in its individual components in a particular manner ascompared to the actuator of the knitting apparatus per se, the so-calledmain actuator.

According to the invention, the auxiliary actuator is similar to theactuator of the main needle bed in its essential elements. Thus, thisactuator is provided at either side of a central needle sinker with aneedle lifter, each of which is stationary, an auxiliary needle aboveeach of the same, and a spring operated latch between each sinker andneedle lifter. The needle sinker is supported for upward and downwardadjustable movement, by means of a spiral curve having individualcatches and a rotary button to adjust the mesh density.

The primary deviation of the auxiliary actuator from the main actuatoris that the needle sinker, apart from the catch adjustment by means ofthef spiral curve, Vis given by a swinging plate, an additional movementover a further button, by means of which the plate is pivoted.

Furthermore, one of the two latches may be pivoted by means of a leverinto a position in which the same is ineffective relative to the needlebutts. In this manner, it is possible to produce catch patterns in usingthe auxiliary actuator.

In a special embodiment of the invention, the shaft of the spiral curverotary button is secured at one end to the plate, passes centrally ofthe button and carries a rotary handle at the end projecting from theactuator plate. The sector-like plate is provided adjacent the outercircumference with an arcuate slot which is engaged by a pin rigidlysecured to the actuator plate. The slot is arranged in the sector-likeplate so that upon the plate being pivoted by means of the turningbutton, the slot slides along the stationary pin and thereby displacesthe shaft of the rotary button transversely to the longitudinaldirection of the actuator plate, thus simultaneously displacing alsoupwardly the rotary disc and the needle sinker so that the passingneedles are less deeply retracted into the needle bed during themovement of the actuator. As will later be more fully described, thiscauses a minor tensioning effect during the return travel of theauxiliary actuator on the thread already laid in loops.

From a study of the following description and drawing, various otherobjects and advantages of the invention will become more readilyapparent to a person skilled in the art.

In order to understand the invention, reference will Y be had to theaccompanying drawing illustrating a p`referred form thereof, and, inwhich:

Fig. l is a bottom view of the auxiliary actuator of the presentinvention, and,

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the' line II-II of Fig. l,the view looking in the directionpof the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III of Fig. 2,the view looking in the direction of the arrows.

As shown in the drawings, a needle sinker 331 is provided on actuatorplate 330 of the auxiliary actuator. The needle sinker is secured bymeans of two screws 332 to downwardly bent aps 333 arranged at eitherside of a sinker slide 334. At its upper portion, the sinker slide 334carries a pin 335 and the end of the pin extending into the interior ofthe actuator plate carries a coil spring 336 having two ends 337extending substantial distances to the sides. The spring ends 337 areinserted in eye-like elements I338 at side wall 339 of the actuatorplate 330. The end of the pin 335 projecting upwardly through atransverse slot 340 of the actuator plate engages recess 341 ofrasetting disc 342. The outer circumference of the recess 341 is formed asa spiral curve 343 which is provided with individual catches into whichthe pin 335 is urged by the spring 336. Setting numerals 1 to l0 areapplied to the outer face of the setting disc 342 with a disc 344covering the numerals and merely showing the respective setting numeralthrough a circular opening 345. against rotation and supported on asleeve 346 which is guided within the slot 340 of the actuator plate andis secured against rotation.

A shaft 347 is rotatably supported within the sleeve 346 and carries atits outer end, a setting button 348 which is connected to the shaft andxed against rotation by a screw. The inwardly projecting end of theshaft 347 passes through the slot 340 of the actuator plate and througha slot 349 of similar configuration in the slide 334 and is securelyVriveted to plate 350.

The plate 350 is provided with an arcuate slot 351 which is so arrangedthat the distance of the center line of the slot from the shaft 347gradually increases from one end 352 to the other end 353 and a pin 354secured to the actuator plate engages the slot 351.

On the actuator plate, at either side of the needle sinker 331, there issecured one needle lifter 355, with the same being connected by a web.One auxiliary needle sinker 357 is arranged above each lifter 355 andeach auxiliary sinker is mounted `011 bolt 356. Each sinker 357 isprovided with an inwardly extending safety deflecting projection 358 ofwhich each one as shown in Fig. l engages under the lateral points ofthe needle sinker. Since both sinker and needle sinker must lie in aboutthe same parallel plane as the plate, an engagement of the deflectingprojections 358 with the points of needle sinker 331 can only beachieved in that either the points of the needle sinker or theprojections 358 are released in steps within the area of engagement insuch a manner that a certain space is present at these points ofengagement between the two elements facing each other. This is importantalso because needle sinker 351 is adjusted upwards and downwards. On theinner bolt 356 of each auxiliary needle sinker is supported a springoperated latch 359 and the right hand latch 359 may be renderedinoperative by the upward swinging movement of a at disengaging lever360. The lever 360 is pivotally supported by the outer bolt 356 of theright-hand sinker 357 and is slightly offset in its surface so that thesame can be pivoted after assembly only in overcoming friction, theforce of which is in excess of the spring force of the latch.

The covering disc 344 is secured To obtain such ends, selectively onelatch each of the Y main or auxiliary actuator, or both of the same arerendered inoperative. `In the operation of the respective actuator, theneedles are not moved to their'highest PDSitlon in ,their upward travel,but merely: to the inserting position. ,Consequently, the meshes formedbyA Vtheneedles do Vnot get behind the tongues of the needles, butremain lying thereon. During the. next actuator travel in theY oppositedirection, the needles therefore do not form new meshes, but merely formloops. The meshes of the preceding rowand the newly formed loops now getbehind the tongues on this stroke because only one latch may be renderedinoperativeV on each actuator. In knitting catch patterns, a certainsuccessiony of operations results. for the actuators to be independentlymoved. It is necessary theny to render'the needle Asinker inoperativeduring a certain inoperative stroke of the auxiliary actuator sinceotherwise the loops formed by the main actuator would lbe torn and thisis attained by turning the sector-like plate. Y

YWhile the invention has been illustrated and; described with respect tothe aforementioned embodiment, it is notV intended to be limitedV to thedetails shown Since various modifications and structural changes may bemade without departing in any way from the spirit and scope of theinvention as lset forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. An actuator for additional devices onA a hand knitting apparatusincluding an Vactuator plate, Yacentral needle sinker on the plate, astationary needle lifter arranged at each side of the central needlesinker, an auxiliary needle sinker on the plate above Veach stationaryneedle lifter, a latch arranged between each auxiliary needle sinker andeach stationary needle lifter, pin means on which each latch ispivotable and resiliently supported, and means for adjustably supportingtheneedle sinker upwardlyY and downwardly, said means comprising twopivotable, mutually bearing elements, each ele.-V ment having a spiralcurve, and a catch operably coupled with each spiral curve whereby onecatch is operably associated with the needle sinker and the other catchYwith, the plate. Y

2. An actuator as claimed in claim 1 in which one of said pivotableelements includes a swinging plate having a slot therein dening thespiral curve, a rotary button, catch means passing through a bore intheother pivotable element connecting the button to the swinging platewhereby the actuator plate is located at the side of the needle sinkerturned towardrthe pivotable elements, the actuator plateengagingthe-catch means by slot means in the rst named pivotable elementand the othericatch being secured to the plate.

3'. An actuator as claimed in claim 2 wherein said rotary buttonincludes a shaftto one end of which the plate is secured'with the shaftextending centrally of the button and an operating head on the free Yendof the shaft projecting from the actuator plate.

4. An actuator as claimed in claim 3 wherein said plate is ofsector-like `outline and is provided adjacent the outer circumferencewith an arcuate slot defining the spiral curve engaged by a pin rigidlysecured to the actuator'plate, the position of `the arcuate slot beingVsuch that on swinging the plate by turning the head, the slot` slidesalong the pin so that the axisof the rotary button is displacedtransversely to the longitudinal direction of the actuator plate thussimultaneouslyadjus'ting the ileedle sinker. Y .Y p'

5. An actuator as claimed in claim 1 further including a lever pivotallyconnected Yto one of said auxiliary needle sinkers whereby the latchassociated with Vsaid sinker can'be pivoted to the inoperative positionin which the latch is ineiective respecting the needle butts.V

6. Anactuatorras claimed ini claiml 1 wherein the needle sinker isarranged atirdownwardly Aoffset naps formed at each side of a sinkerslide carrying at its upper end a pin, one end of VtheV pin supporting acoil spring, the ends of the coilV spring extending Vmaterially to thesides'and bein'g'inserted in eyes carried by the side walll'of theactuator plate andY the other end of the pin extending through atransverse slot in the actuator plate and engaging a recess in thecomponent having the y spiral curve. p

i References Cited in the iile of this patent NrrEDfsTATEs PATENTSl2,759,343 Schurich Aug. f2.1,V 1956

